The Fool in Love
by Dreamy Loner
Summary: When Flippy gets his precious dog tags stolen by the notorious twins, Splendid vows to retrieve them. But everything goes astray once the hero confronts his enemies. His simple tactic to flatter his crush turns out to be the most foolish mistake he's ever made. WARNING: yaoi, slash, smut, cursing, implied rape, sex. Splendid x Twins. Implied Flippy x Flaky.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hi...it's been quite a while. This is a story requested by_ MaplePrincess94_ two months ago and I've only got time to write it now. I know there are many many many other ongoing series I need to update but really, I am so caught up in studies and work. I will try to finish all of them bit by bit. I am having some major writer's blocks on some of my stories. This week is going to be another busy week. I doubt if there is any time for updates, sadly. Anyway, sorry for the delay,_ MaplePrincess94_. I hope you enjoy this (I know you requested a multi-chapter story but at this stage, I can only do this as a oneshot). I will continue this story when I have time but I really need to get back to my old tales next. See you guys later, cheers! Please pray for me, haha! If this semester ends well and I get excellent grades, I will promise you all to update every story and to write a lot moreeeeeeeeeeeeee at Christmas! XD

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Happy Tree Friends. All the characters in this story belong to Mondo Media.

**Warning:** This story contains yaoi/slash/boyxboy/implied rape. Read at your own risks.

**Um...threesome isn't my best preference, but...it sounds thrilling, so I'll give it a try. And yeah...the title is so lame. Ay...someone, please suggest a better one for me, lol.**

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><p>It was a foolish idea for the start. He was reckless, all right, but not retarded. How he resorted to such an outlandish decision was unfathomable. He just reckoned it would help to sacrifice himself for his love.<p>

When Flippy told him those precious dog tags had been extorted by the notorious kleptomaniac twins, Splendid vowed to retrieve them. He was pretty determined then, for he had been having a major crush on Flippy for quite a while. That boy was a young war veteran who just happened to suffer from PTSD. Despite that problematic split personality he possessed, he was pretty suave, having all the necessary qualities to captivate Splendid's heart. If it wasn't so much for his unrequited love, Splendid the amateur hero wouldn't bother to show his endeavor by provoking the twins. Let's say, even the most powerful being had its own inferiority. Splendid, in this case, was in grave terror of this extra-terrestrial thing called kryptonut. This green gem emitted a kind of lethal radiation that could defeat even the most gallant, thrusting aside his competence, hero of all time. Splendid wasn't really in much confidence to confront the twins because…well, to add so much drama into this story, these twin thieves just happened to have stolen the kryptonut from a state museum and have been using it against Splendid for several times. It wasn't a win-win situation at all. Splendid could never forget how he tried desperately to hunt down the criminal twins only to get himself killed by the kryptonut. At least, the twins got scotched by his laser burning. Fortunate were they, to be residing in this cursed town where everyone got resurrected upon their death. Anyway, after that nerve-wrecking incident, Splendid didn't dare to battle with the twins anymore. For some reason, they still possessed the kryptonut even after Splendid had practically crushed it into pieces once. This explained why at the moment, our hero was in such a horrendous dilemma of appeasing his crush and stepping into yet another traumatizing trap.

Scratching the back of his head uneasily, Splendid took a brave step forward to the door. He brushed aside his blue bangs and rang the doorbell. Oh…he didn't even have to be courteous and all. Now that he remembered it, he could simply barge into the house rigidly. And so he did. He basically unhinged the door when he blasted it open and marched into the measly apartment uninvited. Two green-haired boys, utterly petrified, bounced off their couch and stared dumbfounded at their intruder. Shifty, the older twin with a fedora on, furrowed his brows in bewilderment as his identical twin brother, Lifty, dropped his jaws.

"What the fucking shit is this?" Shifty bellowed, clenching his fists in exasperation. "You just blew my fucking door!"

"What the hell are you doing here, Splendy?" Lifty interrogated.

Not giving the slightest care about the insult, Splendid cleared his throat and proclaimed in a hilariously stern manner. "You have one minute to make a decision. The choice is yours-"

"What kind of bullshit are you babbling about?" Shifty interrupted almost instantly. "Get the fucking hell out of our flat!"

"No, I am here to retrieve something." Splendid asserted. "Something you have stolen from my friend."

"You must be misunderstanding something." Lifty laughed. "Everything here belongs to us!"

"That's right. You have no evidence whatsoever to prove that we have stolen that thing from your friend." Shifty smirked, crossing his arms slyly. "Now, why don't you go back to your patrol, sissy?"

"No, I'm not leaving unless I get back what doesn't belong to you in the first place!" Splendid barked. He was pretty tenacious this time, for Flippy had been mourning for over than a week, saying how those dog tags were the last things he received from his deceased father. It wasn't a mere symbol of his military identity but his final gift from someone he cherished the most. The sergeant treasured his dog tags more than anything else. Even when his house got ransacked and all the valuables were stolen, the sole thing he would stubbornly look for was his very own dog tags.

"Oh well, in that case, don't say that we aren't giving you a chance to escape." Shifty shrugged, a crooked grin plastered all over his artful face. He took a few steps back and snatched a jewel encrusted chest from the table behind him. Hoisting the luxurious chest proudly in front of the hero, the twins sniggered as they waited for Splendid's agitated reaction.

Splendid tumbled backwards in sheer fright, knowing well whatever he did was useless against the immense power of that intimidating kryptonut inside the chest. And yet, he refused to step down. There was no way he would concede his defeat so readily. He would retrieve the dog tags no matter what. It would be the last tactic he could afford to win Flippy's affection.

"Well? You're quite obstinate, aren't you?" Shifty snickered, treading closer to the fidgeting hero.

"What's the matter? Can't you see what we've got here, Splendy?" Lifty cocked his brows and giggled.

Splendid gulped and relented, already picturing his torment if the chest was ever to be opened. But…no, it was too soon to give up.

"Give me back Flippy's dog tags." Splendid demanded, lowering his head slightly to hide his awfully pale, perturbed face.

"Wow, what's this now? Flippy's dog tags?" Lifty exclaimed, shooting his twin a dubious glance. "Something fishy is going on~"

"How romantic. As if that high-profile act of yours isn't obvious enough." Shifty mocked. "Either is that asshole soldier way too oblivious or you're actually being indirectly rejected, Splendy~"

"How depressing~" Lifty scoffed. "One-sided love is so heartbreaking~"

"S-Shut up!" Splendid shrieked, tears prickling the corners of his eyes. It's not like he never realized his love wasn't mutual. But still, he was willing to give it a shot. It was simply unendurable to see everyone in the town have someone of their own and he was still nothing more than a solitary figure. And if Flippy wasn't an ostracized loner like him, he wouldn't go as far as to make him his lover.

"Ooooooh, someone's getting unhinged now~" Shifty chuckled. "How much of an idiot are you to think we'll hand you back the dog tags?"

"I think we've sold them." Lifty laughed.

"I think we've accidentally tossed them into the landfill." Shifty added.

"Those aren't of much value anyway." Lifty said.

"Cheapest thing we've ever stolen." Shifty echoed.

"SHUT UP!" Splendid hollered. "You despicable thieves! You have no idea how much those things you steal mean to someone else! You're not only purging someone of their fortune. You're ripping them of something that can never be replaced! NOW, GIVE BACK THE DOG TAGS OR ELSE-"

"Or else?" Shifty grinned. "What?"

"You can't even fight us now." Lifty pinpointed.

"You're such a loser." Shifty taunted.

"And a hopeless one at that." Lifty grimaced.

"Gosh, we've got plenty of stuff to do, Splendy. We ain't got time to waste on you." Shifty rolled his eyes in annoyance and briskly went past Splendid, still with the chest hugged tightly in his arms.

"Yeah~ You had better know your place before coming here to order us." Lifty hummed and trotted after his twin.

"Wait." Splendid muttered, his eyes still fixated on the ground. The twins halted and glimpsed over their shoulders in amusement. "How much do you want?"

"Huh?" The twins exchanged a puzzled look and frowned.

"How much are the dog tags?" Splendid murmured. "I'll buy them from you. All you guys want is money anyway. I'll pay for them. Or just name what I have to do."

"Are you proposing a trade with us?" Lifty asked with an impressed smile.

"Yes." Splendid nodded firmly and gazed at the twins. "What do you want from me in exchange for the dog tags?"

"So, is this how far you'll go just to flatter that war veteran, eh?" Shifty sneered, folding his arms nonchalantly.

"Just…tell me what I have to do." Splendid mumbled tremulously, in a voice almost too soft for the other two boys to hear. He had no clue where his courage stemmed from, knowing well it would most likely be an unreasonable request if the twins ever made any.

"Anything for the dog tags?" Lifty chortled.

"Yes…anything for the dog tags." Splendid confirmed and puckered his lips. He averted his eyes nervously, feeling the intense gaze roaming him.

"Fascinating." Shifty mused. "You do realize we still haven't gotten our revenge on you after you set us ablaze last time, right?"

"Not to mention it was excruciating as hell." Lifty croaked.

"What's so special about those worthless dog tags anyway?" Shifty simpered.

"Because they are owned by Flippy~" Lifty guffawed.

"They aren't worthless!" Splendid retorted indignantly. "They are the most precious things for Flippy! I must get those back for him!"

"Alright then." Shifty smiled, winking at his twin deviously.

"I suppose we haven't sold the dog tags yet." Lifty tittered fiendishly, feigning an innocent look. "But we will need something to refresh our memory as we don't seem to remember where we last deposited them~"

"Yup." Shifty nodded fervently in agreement.

"Just…how much money do you want?" Splendid growled impatiently and glared at the two mischievous twins.

"Nah…we don't want money this time." Lifty shook his head tentatively.

"We are opting for something much more…" Shifty paused and snickered again. "Meaningful and marvelous~"

"And incredibly thrilling." Lifty added.

"You've got to like it, Splendy." Shifty smirked.

"Stop fooling around!" Splendid lashed out impatiently. "JUST TELL ME WHAT I HAVE TO DO!"

"Come here." The twins grinned simultaneously and beckoned to the hero, both inwardly laughing in manic as they ordered Splendid to scramble after them. They led the hero into one of their rooms and locked the door friskily. Splendid, having not a single idea what had yet to come, couldn't brace himself enough when he was suddenly shoved violently onto the bed. The twins, each clasping one side of his arms, laughed frantically as they pinned him down.

"What…are you…" Splendid stuttered, flabbergasted. He struggled futilely and attempted to activate his supernatural powers only to be reminded of a dreadful existence. Laughing hysterically, Shifty pointed to the chest and whispered into Splendid's ears. "Remember, we can open the chest anytime."

"You were the one who proposed the trade." Lifty cooed and laid his head on the hero's tummy. "We're going to make it a fair deal."

"And we've been thinking of doing this to you for a while." Shifty admitted, planting an astounding kiss on the hero's cheek. Splendid widened his eyes and gasped, barely able to assimilate the shock.

"Actually, we've even planned out how to do it." Lifty giggled, cautiously sweeping his hand underneath the hero's shirt. "All the way through."

"All the way through." Shifty repeated.

"G-G-Get off me!" Splendid snarled, his rage completely subsumed by the emerging fear. He was almost certain that the twins were scheming something unsightly and atrocious. In fact, from the way they were touching and harassing him now, he could tell what his imminent treatment was.

"S-Stop it!" Splendid screeched, trying to sit up but was soon pressed down once more by the twins. "Just…tell me a number and I'll pay for the dog tags! Come on!"

"I thought we've already made it clear." Shifty scowled, his smile fading as he straddled the hero. "We've been waiting for this opportunity to humiliate and torture you."

"We're going to make this an ultimate nightmare for you, Splendy." Lifty smiled. "It's going to be gruesomely memorable."

"So awesomely grisly." Shifty grinned.

"And it's going to haunt you forever." Lifty said. "Like the way you killed us last time."

"Are you…going to kill me?" Splendid froze, his heart racing. To be honest, he was quite terrorized by the pure thought of death. He had witnessed it too many times but had seldom experienced it. And his last encounter of death was pretty unpleasant. It still mentally scarred him. It's like one of those sayings that the more powerful you were, the more scared of death you would be. Splendid was exactly one of those types who dreaded nothing but anguish and death. He could say he was outwardly a conceited and narcissistic superhero but an absolute coward on the inside.

"Maybe." Lifty replied.

"It depends on your performance." Shifty clarified. "If you're cooperative enough, we might think about sparing you."

"Just…what the hell do you want from me?" Splendid, already losing his composure, howled deliriously.

"Getting all snappy now, aren't you?"Shifty cracked a grin. "Don't worry. We can skip the foreplay if you want."

"What…" Before Splendid could complete his utterance, he was interrupted roughly by a ruthless kiss on the lips. And that was when he realized what true fear was. It was all over him. He could almost envision the impending ordeal. It was sending shivers down his spine. He could feel his nerve twitching and his heart thumping uncontrollably. He wanted to push his aggressor away but his wrists were tied down in a flash. As Shifty continued violating his moist cavern, he could feel hands brushing sensually across the rest of his body. Agilely and skilfully, Lifty stripped off the hero's jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, leaving the plain, porcelain skin exposed widely to the air.

"S-Stop…" Splendid managed to babble through the involuntary kiss. His resistance though didn't prevent Shifty from delving his tongue into his mouth fiercely. The kiss was ever so vicious and sloppy but it sure as hell was going to haunt Splendid for eternity.

A sudden grope of his thighs brought the hero to the verge of tears. The mortification had become too much to bear. He felt his pants being tugged down swiftly and chucked away. The area he would normally strive to protect was now being teased incessantly by his own nemesis. Splendid moaned reflexively as Lifty prodded his crotch, wrapping his nimble fingers around the flaccid flesh.

"S-Stop!" Splendid commanded, breaking the kiss abruptly. "Please! Stop it!"

"That's a nice reaction you have here." Lifty snickered and continued rubbing the hero's shaft despite his protest. Splendid, unable to refrain from the unwanted pleasure, lay feebly on the bed as the twins proceeded to assault him bit by bit.

"Well, you aren't going to get all the fun alone, Splendy." Shifty squinted and quickly unbuckled his belt. "Like we said, we're going to take our vengeance from this."

"W-Wait…" Splendid cried as Shifty yanked his head up by his hair. Shoving the tip of his rod to the hero's mouth, the older twin commanded. "Open your mouth."

Splendid, apparently not willing to suck his enemy's member, refused and sealed his lips tight. The thief tilted his head contemplatively and scrunched the hero's nose, causing him to groan and gasp for air. As soon as his mouth gaped open, the huge rod was sent mercilessly down his throat. The hero gagged helplessly and started licking the erect flesh, feeling ever so filthy and degraded.

"Suck harder." Shifty chided. The hero, not wishing to receive any more additional punishment, complied hesitantly. He took the length fully into his mouth and twirled his tongue around it, filling the thief with just the satisfactory amount of pleasure. He continued sucking and licking Shifty's flesh as he was compelled to, until he himself felt a foreign wave of pleasure circulating around his own rod.

"Ermmm…" Splendid muffled a strained moan as he felt his own climax inching closer. Lifty, noticing the swollen shaft, smirked and pressed the tip hard with his thumb, immediately driving the hero berserk. Streams of tears cascaded down Splendid's face as he found himself clouded by the forced pleasure. He moaned sheepishly and released his load. At the same moment, Shifty pulled out his rod and spluttered his seed all over the hero's face. Splendid, still panting in stupor, collapsed weakly on the mattress.

"Damn, just how much of a slut you are, Splendy." Shifty chanted, feeling another major arousal as he saw the sticky white fluid dribble down the hero's chin.

"He's got a slutty body too~" Lifty whistled, swapping positions with his twin. "There, I'm the one who got him cum first, hehehee."

"Oh, won't you just shut up." Shifty stuck out his tongue and spread Splendid's legs.

"Huh?" Splendid, finally coming back to his senses, stared in astonishment at Shifty.

"Ready for what's next?" Shifty smiled and almost without a warning, probed his fingers into the hero's entrance.

"N-No!" Splendid yelped in agony and wept. "S-Stop! Please! S-Stop it!"

Ignoring his pleas, Shifty continued plunging his fingers into that tight hole and stretching the clamped muscles inside.

"Geez, you're going to enjoy this, I guarantee you." Lifty reassured and kissed the hero passionately. Seizing the chance, Shifty flipped Splendid over and positioned himself properly at his entrance.

"EMMM!" Splendid sniveled loudly as Shifty thrust into him. His vision was soon obscured by rivers of tears.

"S-Stop…" Splendid blubbered again even though he knew nothing could be done to stop the frenzied twins. Shifty surged his hips forward and started bumping into the hero erratically.

"Splendy, look up here." Lifty crooned and held up Splendid's chin, bringing his lips slowly to his own unattended length. "This needs a bit of assistance. You know what to do."

Splendid wheezed and took Lifty's member into his mouth reluctantly. He began to pleasure the young twin the way he had done to the older one. As he kept sucking Lifty's rod, Shifty kept pounding into him from behind. The ache of his buttocks soon ebbed away and got replaced by another wave of unexpected pleasure. Splendid moaned lustfully as Shifty struck a bundle of special nerves inside his rear. Every hit and bump transformed into a blissful sensation, a wondrous contentment the hero had never experienced before. It was exactly like what Lifty had promised him. He was starting to, irrepressibly and unreservedly, enjoy the entire suffering.

"A-Ahh…" Splendid blurted out a defenseless groan as his harasser picked up a feral speed and ground into him greedily. He could feel his legs wobbling, his muscles being stretched to their ultimate limits. The enormous rod was immersed and buried deep inside his entrance, smashing his sensitive spot with pleasure like bolts of lightning.

"Damn it, I'm coming." Lifty moaned and bucked his hips, shoving his length down Splendid's throat as he released his glop. The hero swallowed the fluid obediently and huffed, his own pleasure building up inside his bottom.

"A-Ahh…Ah…" Splendid clung close to Lifty and hummed subserviently as his nerves got repetitively crushed and slammed by Shifty's large cock.

"What a cute, little lewd noise you're making." Lifty tittered and bent down to kiss the hero tenderly. Splendid responded to the kiss almost in complete thirst. This pleasure that was manipulating his mind was overflowing his whole body, betraying all his conscience and disrupting his consciousness. All he could feel was the ecstasy Shifty was granting him with every rhythmic, barbarous move he initiated.

Automatically, Splendid reached out for his own shaft and started pumping it.

"There, let me help you." Lifty offered and grabbed the hero's member. The moment he touched it, Splendid came with an enticing moan. Shifty thrust all the way into the hero as he approached his own peak, filling Splendid's insides with his hot, wet spunk.

"Hmmm…" Splendid flopped down onto the bed droopily, his mind still trapped in an irreversible state of muddle.

"What are you now, little slut." Shifty smirked and pulled out of the hero, watching appreciatively as his seed flooded Splendid's rear and dripped out of his tainted ass. "Such a shameful mess."

"It…hurts…so…" The hero stammered in vague consciousness, snuggling up on Lifty's lap as he struggled to register everything that had just happened to him. "So…good…"

"Doesn't it?" Lifty laughed and stroked the hero's hair teasingly. "Meh, you're so adorable when you moan like a bitch, Splendy."

"You probably don't know it. We've been masturbating to the image of you ever since you killed us last time." Shifty confessed.

"We've been waiting for so long to pin you down, Splendy~"

"To take your virginity and pride." Shifty chirped.

"To break your heart before Flippy does." Lifty purred.

"We just love it when you're so defeated and disgraced." Shifty sniggered.

"So vulnerable and kinky." Lifty smirked.

"We won't kill you this time." Shifty pouted. "It's not going to be revenge if you're enjoying this much though."

"True." Lifty snorted. "But a deal is a deal."

The twins leaped out of bed hurriedly and dressed themselves. Shifty flung open his drawer and pulled out the dog tags.

"There you go." He hurled the shiny accessories towards the hero and smiled.

"Next time I'll be the one to take your ass, Splendy." Lifty chuckled and kissed the hero's head gently.

Lying motionless on the bed, Splendid grabbed the dog tags in woeful tears and watched the twins strut out of the room triumphantly.

It was probably the most foolish mistake he had ever made.

There was just nothing worse than betraying his own virtues in pursuit of an unrequited love.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hiii guyssss. I've come back with another chapter as _MaplePrincess94_ requested. Not sure where I was going, really...It's a bit messed up and stupid. Hope someone is still reading this...Well...it seems to end abruptly this time. May consider writing chapter 3, an additional chapter for the lemon scene. What do you reckon?**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own any characters in this story. Happy Tree Friends belongs to Mondo Media.**

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><p>"Thanks, bud. You made my day."<p>

Splendid stared at the soldier with a faint smile, jamming his hands into his pockets as if it was no big deal.

But in fact, it was.

Nobody realized how much torment and anguish he had gone through to retrieve those dog tags.

The pain had abated but the mortification remained. He was a fool after all, an incompetent hero, an incredibly gullible, naive soul.

To think that he had sacrificed so much of his mighty dignity…his immense pride…his lamentably severe vanity…just to impress someone who had never settled his eyes for him, was simply deplorable.

He felt extremely disgusted.

Sooner or later, he would start loathing himself more than anyone else.

That tenacity and persistence in love was destined to bring him towards his own doom.

"Anything for you." Splendid smiled.

"Geez, I thought I would lose them forever.." Flippy shook his head in amazement. "They were the last things I got from Dad. I was going to give up, actually. And God, such a best friend you are. You just won't stop giving me beautiful surprises! It's been like that since high school and damn, as much as I want to deny it, you're so awesome and unpredictable. Really have to say you're the only guy I can count on in this town. I owe you this one."

"You don't…really have to exaggerate it like that." Splendid chuckled.

"How…did you get them back from those twins by the way?" Flippy asked.

"Oh…um…you know, just tag along with the simple trick with thieves." Splendid shrugged, grinning awkwardly as though he was striving hard to conceal his inner disgrace. "Deal."

"I see…" Flippy nodded. "You're just fabulous, dude. To show my gratitude, ha, I'm going to let you be the first to know this!"

"W-What?" Splendid frowned.

"THIS!" Flippy whooped elatedly, pulling out a card from his bag and waving it in front of his mate.

There was a long moment of silence between them and then…the sergeant continued tittering mirthfully. As for the hero…he could only gawk at the wedding invitation card speechlessly.

"Guess what? Guess what!" Flippy exclaimed. "Flaky said 'yes'! She said 'yes'! Ohhhhhh gosh, I'm the luckiest man in this world. Can you believe that? Can you? She cried for hours in happiness after I proposed to her! She's so adorable~"

Splendid didn't say anything. He kept his eyes fixated on the soldier. For a second, none of the words could penetrate his ears. The sole thing he could hear was his heart shattering so gradually and so miserably into millions of pieces.

So very oddly, he couldn't bring himself to detest the magnificent news, regardless of how it wrenched his heart, how it battered his soul and trampled on his hope.

It wasn't really something to cry for. Seriously, he had anticipated it from a long time ago. He had always realized Flippy was dating Flaky. He had always been watching and rooting for them from afar. He was even the arbitrator when the two quarreled because of Flippy's split personality. He was the one who urged and encouraged the soldier to make an advance in his relationships. He was the one who assisted him all the way through preparing and planning for the proposal.

He had been supporting Flippy all along and unconsciously betraying his own feelings.

There was no one except himself to blame for all this wreck he had caused himself.

He had always foreseen the success of the proposal, the promising future of the couple.

But still…

_Why does it feel so bad?_

_Why?_

He couldn't cease this pain in his heart. No, not anymore. All the sentiments were waiting for an outburst. He couldn't shed a single drop of tears in front of this man he had endeavored so much to love and had forfeited a lot to appease. All this time, as he grew up, he had been taught the most genuine way to love someone was to do something that would guarantee their happiness. He had devoted his entire heart, his time, his effort into making Flippy happy, just so he could be recognized and remembered. He didn't request much from the soldier, indeed. He only wished for a place in Flippy's mind, in his memory... Someday, when he encountered trouble in life, he might remember some pathetic guy named Splendid, who was always willing to stand up for him, to cradle and reassure him even if the whole world despised him.

It hurt so much that he wanted to disappear forever.

It hurt so much that he wanted to just pluck out his heart and crumple it.

That way, the ache would ebb away.

Death would be the remedy to finally put a stop to this everlasting unrequited love.

"You'll be my best man, right?" Flippy chortled. "Just as we've promised back at school! You can't escape now, Splendy. We did promise each other that whenever one of us is to get married, the other one has to be the groomsman, haha."

"Of course…" The hero lowered his head and grinned vaguely.

"Ay, shouldn't you say something to your best friend? He's getting married!" Flippy joked, nudging Splendid's elbow playfully.

"Yea, I still don't get how an imbecile like you can captivate a sweet angel like Flaky." Splendid mocked.

"Hey! I take that as an insult!" Flippy pouted. "But…since you've always been there for me through all the hard times, I guess I don't mind being taunted by you once in a while. Remember to come on time, dude!"

"Yea…yea." Splendid nodded as the soldier slipped the card into his hands.

"Gotta go, bud. Have to inform the rest of the town, haha!" Flippy winked and gave the hero a slight pat on the back before trotting away.

Splendid watched the war veteran vanish from his sight.

And like a fool he was, he stood motionless as torrents of tears trickled down his face.

**xXx**

They met as kids.

They grew up together.

They fought; they squabbled; they loved each other.

But when one of them found the true love of his life, the other one could only be rendered in doleful silence.

There was a time when Splendid thought he stood a chance. But as quickly as it came, the delusion was swept away from him.

He then realized, he was never the suitable one for him.

A girl of pure innocence, a heart imbued with endless kindness and tolerance, appeared to rescue the tattered, condemned soldier.

They fell in love as swiftly as ever.

Their love even grew deeper than the bottomless abyss.

And the hero witnessed it all.

_It's time to give up, idiot._

He told himself.

"Look what treasure I've found here, bro!" A voice squeaked delightedly. "A heartbroken 'lady' wallowing in grief, ha!"

"Let me take a look." Another voice butted in and scoffed. "Tsk, what's our princess doing here at this time of the night~"

Splendid glanced up at the obnoxious twins and snorted. The two boys snickered upon catching their prey's attention. The hero didn't budge. He just kept crouching in one corner as those annoying voices resounded across the alleyway.

"Hey, wanna discuss the greatest news of the day?" Shifty sniggered.

"You mean that how we robbed two banks in three hours and stole a pile of gold?" Lifty laughed.

"Moron, that doesn't count as the greatest news." Shifty grimaced.

"Oh…if it's not about our triumph, perhaps it's about…what's it again?" Lifty smirked. "Oh! Now that I remember, we got something this morning, didn't we?"

"Yea~thought it was trash at first." Shifty giggled.

"Nah~It's an invitation card to a wedding!" Lifty announced.

"Who's getting married?" Shifty asked, raising his tone curiously.

"I forgot." Lifty shrugged and gazed at the hero. "Do you know, Splendy?"

The hero puckered his lips and looked away. It was no good retaliating. At this stage, he couldn't even stop the twins from verbally humiliating him. He was in no mood for struggling. He had long been incapable of resisting pain and misfortune.

He still remembered what Lifty and Shifty had done to him though. He still remembered the odious state they put him in, how they coaxed him into having sex with them and how they ripped him of his virginity and plunged him into a sinister experience of bended hurt and pleasure.

He was scarred by that revolting trade between them, both mentally and physically.

Whenever he recalled that incident, he would get aroused uncontrollably and then he would suffer from a long period of sheer depression and self-hatred. Up till now, there was one thing he couldn't quite understand at first.

He had never thought of seeking vengeance from those twins.

And now all at once, the idea rang a bell in his head.

He knew why he couldn't rebel the twins right from the start.

He, himself, was responsible for his own act. He had always expected them to torture him, to debase him, to tread on him…He had always wanted all that pain. There was something only Lifty and Shifty could achieve for him.

"Hey…what's wrong, Splendy?" Lifty squatted down and grinned widely, poking the hero in an attempt to elicit a response from him.

"Too grievous to speak, princess?" Shifty laughed and bent down next to his brother, both gazing at the hero full of interest.

"Can't take those words, can you?" Lifty simpered.

"Geez, that's just the tip of the iceberg." Shifty rolled his eyes. "What do you expect? That solider never loves you~"

"And that's the consequence of getting blindly involved with something that doesn't promise a harvest in return." Lifty addressed. "Right, brother?"

"Cat caught your tongue now, eh?" Shifty prodded the hero in the arm and scowled. "Hey, damn it, we're speaking to you!"

The older thief gripped the hero by his collar and yanked him up, bringing his face close to his. "Want to keep ignoring us, huh? Ha, don't think you can keep your mouth shut forever. We'll pry it open and stuff it with kryptonut, ha!"

"Do it then." Splendid murmured. He didn't stir, his eyes still on the thief. A peaceful smile crawled over his face as he reiterated. "Kill me with the kryptonut, Shifty. Even better, kill me with it and then toss my corpose outside the boundaries. That way, I'll never come back again. Haha…haha…"

The twins froze and released the hero in a flash, both bewildered by the abrupt speech. They watched Splendid tumble backwards and slouch against the wall, bursting into laughter and wailing at the same time.

"You have it with you guys, right?" Splendid laughed. "Why don't you take it out? I don't care what you say to me anymore. Fuck with me if you want. Just kill me, okay? I killed you before, right? You must hate me pretty much. That's alright. You've always been looking forward to this day, haven't you? To see me screw up everything and surrender. Here I am. Come catch me~ Murder me. Pierce me with the kryptonut~yeah, just slice me into pieces as you've always wanted. Take your revenge on me."

He beckoned to the twins, practically inviting them to slaughter him. His face was long drenched in tears, twisted in both ecstasy and melancholy. He felt his wish being granted slowly. Yes, he realized it now. The thing that only Lifty and Shifty could do but no one else could was the privilege to end his life.

He would submit himself to his enemies.

For once and for all.

Until the day his heart stopped beating, it would be end of his pain.

"What're you waiting for?" Splendid laughed fanatically, grabbing each of Shifty's and Lifty's wrist. "I have asked you to ridicule me as much as you like. Go on! Spout out all the insults you want. Then, kill me. I'll thank you for that, haha."

"Screw you!" Shifty barked. A hit of soaring pain attacked Splendid's cheek as the older thief smacked him.

"Shifty!" Lifty gasped at his brother in astonishment.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" Shifty hollered. "Asking us to kill you? Dream on! Damn it! What fun is there if you're willing to suffer like this? Tell me! Do you still consider yourself a hero? A shitty guy like you deserves none of our respect. And don't you even think that we'll help you because we won't! WE WON'T FREAKING HELP YOU COMMIT SUICIDE! You piece of scum. You might just as well rot here until you die of sorrow. And yea, we'll still spit on your corpse and stomp on it!"

"Shut it, brother!" Lifty yelped, scurrying towards the hero apprehensively. "Dude, stop whimpering! Pull yourself together! We were only fooling around with you. We were just happy to insult you because you were in love with that guy we abominated!"

"Lifty!" Shifty cried. "What the hell are you-"

"Well, at least, I'm not going to hide my feelings anymore! Toying with someone you like is your strategy but it's never my cup of tea!" Lifty retorted fiercely, wrapping his arms tightly around the hero. "I'm out of it! I'm freaking out of this game! Damn it! What pride? What vengeance? I don't care! Why do we have to keep on pretending to hate someone we love? The ones truly pathetic are us, brother! Don't you get it?"

Shifty gulped and clenched his fists, the thumping of his heart resonating across the whole alleyway as he glared at his brother in agony.

The hero frowned and cringed instantly from the younger thief, his mouth wide open in trepidation.

"What…What did…you just…say…" Splendid gasped, scooting farther away from Lifty. "I…don't…understand…what…do you mean…"

"Are you seriously that dense or what?" Lifty sighed in frustration. "We like you! We love you so much that we hate you! We won't kill you! We will never kill you, okay? We won't grant your stupid wish so give it up, Splendy. To think that you're willing to die for some worthless psycho is really infuriating. It's pissing me off!"

"It doesn't really matter if you refuse to help me…" Splendid babbled, crawling over to the younger thief. "I…don't… really mind, to be honest…After all, it's just a plea and you guys have always been standing against me. I guess…I will just have to borrow this for a second…"

The hero smiled and agilely slid his hand into Lifty's pocket.

"What…Wait, no!" The twins screeched but it was too late.

Splendid pointed the gun at him and triggered the pistol. In a fleeting moment, the bullet went through his heart and he collapsed into the arms of his nemesis.

"NO!" The twins cried, both petrified by the appalling scene. Blood splattered against their faces as they watched the hero fall slowly into his unconsciousness.

"Maybe…just maybe…" Splendid shut his eyes tranquilly and smiled. "If… I could choose one more time…hm…ha…I might not fall for…that man…again…"

"Splendid…Splendid!" Lifty sobbed, holding the boy close to him.

"Damn it, wake up, idiot!" Shifty shook the hero vigorously. "Wake the fuck up…."

But the hero didn't move again.

He lay still and calm in the twins' arms, with such an enigmatic smile on his face.

**xXx**

"You know…when we first saw you, we thought you were a classic blockhead…"

"Yea, you looked eccentric, pretty dumb for a hero to be frank. Who would really wear that tracksuit with such a huge, conspicuous S emboldened on the shirt? Ha, we got quite a laugh at that time."

"That said, but we couldn't help feeling intrigued. No one has ever attempted to stop us from our sins. In fact, NO ONE could."

"But you were different. You were so obstinate. So determined. Even if the matter doesn't bother you, you still try to poke your nose into someone else's business."

"We watched you fail. We watched you fall. We watched you kill the citizens while saving them."

"We laughed at your failure. We were thinking how stubborn and foolish you were, to never stop trying."

"And then…we realized…we were just the same. We failed a lot. We messed up our heist. But we never stopped trying to steal."

"And you never stopped trying to chase us down, to give us retribution, to imprison us and to restore your so-called justice for the town."

"We found it funny."

"We found it hilarious."

"That we stood in so much contrast to each other but in some way we shared something in common."

"And you fell in love with someone who didn't love you back."

"We were amused."

"We were impressed."

"Before long, we were just confronting the same thing as you did."

"The only difference is, you never show your hatred towards the one you love."

"We grew tired of waiting. We grew tired of trying to capture your heart. We just wanted to make you notice us."

"We wanted you. We wanted your heart. But you gave it to someone else."

"We were frustrated. We really were."

"And a hideous idea clicked in us. We decided to force ourselves on you. We made a plan to steal something precious from your love."

"We just wanted you to come and initiate a deal with us."

"Anything would be fine, as long as there was an opportunity."

"To have you in our arms."

"To have you in our grab."

"We love you."

"So much that we hate you."

"We know that if you discover our feelings, you'll be sure to shrug them off."

"You'll be sure to demean us."

"We're enemies after all."

"It hurts so bad though."

"It hurts so much."

"Are you…listening?"

Splendid opened his eyes and blinked hollowly at the twins.

"You know what's the best thing about loving you?" Lifty smiled. "It's that you're so oblivious. Your ignorance makes you really cute."

"And the worst thing is to see you mingle with that war veteran." Shifty said. "He's such a nuisance, such a barrier, such an ordeal... To give up on a treasure like you is really despicable."

"It's unforgivable." Lifty echoed.

"Don't…blame him." Splendid whispered and sat up in the bed. "It's my fault. It's always been mine."

"It makes me furious" Shifty asserted. "To see you defend him like this."

"You get it wrong." Splendid clarified. "I mean…it's my fault to have neglected your feelings all this time…Guess I did really make you so despaired that you decided to trick me into that deal and rape me, eh? And damn it…I'm surprisingly not mad at you. What in the world of a hopeless brat am I?"

"That prank was the last and only one." Lifty confessed, averting his gaze remorsefully. "We didn't intend to push you that far. We would have done a lot more indecent things to you then, but we were restraining ourselves. We got too tired of watching you fawn over that guy. We lost control."

"We wanted to make you hate us. We wanted to give up on you, once and for all. But…" Shifty stated gruffly. "We failed. We're just like you, nothing more than a fool in love."

"Everyone is a fool in love." Splendid muttered. "And I'm a contemptible one at that. I guess…it isn't worth it after all, to end my life for him?"

"Do you know how we felt when you begged us to kill you?" Lifty said. "You probably don't, right? You only saw us as two bastards always trying to pick a fight with you. Yea, if making you suffer could ease our pain, we would be blessed. But that never happened. It never!"

"What…can I do, then?" Splendid furrowed his brows bitterly. "Why do you have to mourn over someone like me? I interfered with your heist. I killed you. I ignored you and caused you pain. You're supposed to ruin me, wallop me, see me perish forever…So…why?"

"Because we love you!" The twins declared simultaneously, their eyes brimming with tears. They were both at their own limits. No one could ever imagine loving someone was so grueling, so agonizing. It tore them apart.

"It's the same way you feel for Flip!" Lifty sniveled.

"So why wouldn't you understand? Why?" Shifty whined.

It was outrageous to see the thieves, his ultimate enemies, crying because of him.

But he couldn't thrust aside that unendurable feeling in his heart.

From their tears, their worn-out faces, their repentant expressions, he saw a reflection of his own.

He saw himself in these twins...

Perhaps it wasn't a lie. Perhaps they were being honest.

They had always loved him the same way he had loved Flippy.

When that unrequited love reached its limits, the twins chose to vent their grudge on their lover through assault and violence.

And the hero chose to evade the grief and die by himself.

They were all cowards.

They were all morons.

To say it was empathy, it was more like…mutuality.

More like love.

An unknown love.

"Because I'm scared." Splendid cooed, embracing the two boys glumly.

It was true though.

Fear was his excuse.

He was afraid of falling in love again.

He was afraid of unconditional love.

It had taken him too much strength.

"Very well then…" Lifty mumbled. "We wouldn't compel you to give us a chance. We know what we've done. We wouldn't even expect you to forgive us."

"But there's one thing we can never accept." Shifty said. "It's the fact that you ask us to kill you. We will never comply with that one. Never."

"Is that so?" Splendid giggled, lying back on his pillow. "I don't plan on asking that favor from you ever again, so, don't worry. Thank you for taking me in. You should have just let me rot in the alleyway."

"Don't be silly." Lifty said.

"Fool." Shifty commented.

"I know I am." Splendid laughed.

"So are we, brother." Lifty whispered softly into his twin's ears.

"Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Is it sad? Is it bad? What should I do with these three now? Tell me.**


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